Category Specialist

A.G. Barr; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 34 days holiday (depending on UK

Flexible holiday trading

Living Wage Employer

Healthcare Cash Plan

Pension

Annual salary review

Staff product discounts

Job summary

AG Barr is seeking a Category Specialist to support end-to-end strategic sourcing across key spend areas. You will drive RFP/RFQ processes, run market research and shape category strategies to optimize cost and value.

Role requires strong negotiation, spend analytics, supplier management and contract lifecycle experience. Join a leading UK FMCG company with a diverse portfolio including IRN-BRU, Rubicon, Boost and more.

Qualifications

• Experience in procurement, ideally within FMCG environment.
• Strong commercial curiosity and cost-optimization mindset.
• Advanced Excel skills (VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables) to analyze spend data.
• Ability to create compelling presentations for internal/external use.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Sourcing: lead RFPs/RFQs, market research and category strategies.
• Negotiation: drive best financial value while meeting non-financial needs.
• Spend Analytics: identify savings levers and opportunities for consolidation.
• Supplier Performance Management: track KPIs and manage supplier conformance.
• Contract Lifecycle: manage renewals and reporting; monitor risk.
• Market Intelligence: monitor inflation and material indices affecting costs.
• Stakeholder Influence: consult with internal teams to align requirements.

Skills

Procurement experience

FMCG sector knowledge

Advanced Excel

Data analysis & insights

Negotiation

Project management

Stakeholder management

Presentations

Tools

Excel

AI data interrogation tools

Job description

Job Title: Category Specialist

Location: Any of our HUBS (Cumbernauld, Middlebrook, Milton Keynes, London)

Contract and working pattern: 37.5 hours per week

Are you ready to Be Your Best Barr None?

Lets Grow!!!

We are all about Being Your Best Barr None and having a career with real Moments that Matter!

Employing around 850 people across the UK, we are proud to be a responsible business that takes care of our people, values diversity, gives something back to our communities and works to minimise our environmental impact.

For 150 years AG Barr has been building great brands and is home to some of the nations favourite flavours.

At our core is IRN-BRU, launched in 1901 and still going strong today, the vibrant RUBICON fruit based brand, Boost making every moment better with a caffeine kick, hydration hit or tasty treat, and FUNKIN where real fruit means authentic taste.

We also have a number of exciting owned brands within our portfolio including MOMA, which crafts quality oats into great tasting oat drinks and porridges.

There's never been a better time to join us!

What we’re looking for…

A new opportunity has become available in the area of outsourced procurement supporting the end-to-end strategic sourcing process and manage the commercial health of specific spend categories.

As our Category Specialist you will be responsible for…

• Strategic Sourcing Support: Lead the execution of RFPs (Request for Proposal) and RFQs (Request for Quote). This includes market research, vendor pre-qualification, analyzing complex bid submissions and the creation and maintenance of assigned category strategies.
• Negotiation: You are able to lead tactical negotiations to ensure the best financial value is delivered for the business balanced with non financial requirements.
• Spend Analytics: Use data to identify "Savings Levers." You will analyze spend patterns to spot opportunities for consolidation or specification improvement and ensure the savings funnel is continuously filled with new ideas.
• Supplier Performance Management (SRM): Manage delegated categories of our supplier base. You will track KPIs to ensure they meet contractual obligations and ensure through regular suppliers meetings any non conformance is addressed .
• Contract Lifecycle Management: Act as the custodian of the category’s contracts. You’ll ensure that all renewals are planned at least 6 months in advance and the category manager is fully aware of the renewal plan. Including monthly PPV delivery, proactively managing risk registers and ensuring all other reporting requirements are met.
• Market Intelligence: Stay abreast of external market factors (inflation, raw material indices, or labor shifts) that might impact the cost of your categories and ensure learnings are built into Category strategies
• Stakeholder Influence: Act as a consultant to internal departments. You help them define what they need versus what they want to ensure the business doesn't overspend on unnecessary specifications.

What you’ll bring…

• Experience in Procurement, ideally within a FMCG environment.
• Commercial Curiosity: An ability to look at an invoice and ask, "Why are we paying this, and is there a better way to buy it?"
• Technical Skills: Advanced Excel is a must (VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables) to clean "messy" spend data into a clear story. AI prompting to ensure AI is deployed to improve data interrogation and automate repetitive tasks. Ability to quickly create compelling presentations for internal and external purposes.
• Negotiation: Comfortable with "principled negotiation"—focusing on value and long-term partnership rather than just the lowest price.
• Project Management: Ability to manage multiple sourcing projects simultaneously without missing contract expiry deadlines. Represent Procurement on Mid tier Commercial projects ensuring active participation in all project meetings, all actions are completed and provide management summaries on progress. .
• Communication: Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) to maintain professional relationships internally and externally.

What we offer…

We believe in creating a diverse and inclusive culture where your voice can be heard. Our skilled, loyal and committed people are critical to the future success of AG Barr which is why we are continually investing in our employees to develop their talent.

We look after our employees by offering a competitive salary and benefits package which includes;

• Up to 34 days holiday (depending on shift pattern)
• Flexible holiday trading
• Living Wage Employer
• Healthcare Cash Plan
• Peppy Health
• Flexible benefits e.g. discounts & cashback, gym memberships, technology purchases etc
• Life assurance
• Save as you earn scheme
• Staff sales discount
• Free AG Barr products throughout your working day
• Pension
• Annual salary review
• Ongoing professional development

And much more!

To find out more about what it is like to work for AG Barr, please visit our careers platform here.

We are an equal opportunities employer and happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that may be needed for successful candidates with a disability, health or mental health condition.

Latest closing date for applications is 21st September

#IND1